I bought a N scale Kato F7B where the seller said the couplers (Rapido) were messed up. Turns out one was just floppinig around (no spring) and the other had been glued in. Easy to remove the floppy one but when I tried to remove the other one, it promply broke off. That is when I realized it had been glued in place.
I tried to remove the remains of the coupler that was glued in to no avail. After some checking on the parts I would need to salvage it, I was only able to find one apparent solution - replace the entire truck assembly (Kato part number 929313). That would provide me with a new coupler mount as part of the assembly.
I cannot find any Kato parts at a lower level than the entire truck assembly. That seems like an extreme solution to replacing just the coupler mount. Am I missing an option here?
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
I don't know if this will be of any help but I ordered a coupler conversion kit for my Atlas RS1 to replace rapido couplers part #1158 and for my Atlas GP7 part #1155. I know my locomotives are Atlas but the stamp on the bottom of the trucks say Kato.
I have not picked them up from scale model Supply in St Paul yet but I am told they will work just fine. I'm sure if those are available they are available for F7's too.
Hope this helps. Track Fiddler
Unfortunately, this is not a conversion problem. The receiver bracket on the truck will no longer accept a coupler of any type. I don't know if it is possible to ignore the truck mounted coupler and change it to a body mount.
I don't know why that wouldn't work to carefully cut the couplers off the trucks with a razor saw and mount body couplers. Seems to work on rolling stock.
Don't know for sure though. I'll let some of the forum veterans chime in on the subject.
Track Fiddler
If it was glued in with CA, there is a CA solvent. It will immediately remove any paint it comes in contact with. DAMHIK
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Is this the DCC ready version of the loco? That is the only F unit truck that Kato still has in stock. If that's the version you have, then a complete truck is the only way to go and they are simple to replace. If the loco is the older, non DCC ready version, then you will need to search for one on the used market. Also, the older one have two different styles of trucks. You will need to identify the one you need. You can post a picture of the truck and we can tell you which one you have.
Body mounting is out of the question on these F units...
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge